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Matthew and I are on our way to Hong Kong for the week! But before we take off, I wanted to share some photos from the tapas party we hosted last weekend.

Curt and I have the same birthday so naturally we threw ourselves a joint party. He was the mastermind behind all the amazing dishes like the paella, saffron meatballs and clams in wine sauce. And what's a tapas party without the sangria?! We whipped one up with passion fruit since they were in season. Needless to say, it turned out AMAZING and the best sangria I've ever had.

Can't forget flowers for the occasion! I picked these out at the corner flower shop. We also snacked and sipped on cocktails while prepping for the party. I'm sure you can imagine how quickly this turned into an all-day event :)

And a birthday isn't complete without the outfit. This was an early birthday gift from Matthew and I couldn't have asked for a more perfect dress. It's the Broadwalk Dress by AQ/AQ and was purchased from Revolve Clothing.

Maria brought over cake and desserts just in time! Clearly, I was ready.

I'm so thankful to have been able to spend my birthday in Japan with such sweet and amazing friends! And most importantly, with Matthew. This was my first birthday EVER with him so I suppose you could consider this a milestone :) I also want to thank everyone for all the sweet birthday messages I received. You guys are the best and I can't wait to see you all in June!

That's it for now! I will try to post pictures from our daily adventures in Hong Kong. Have a great week and Happy Easter!

The best part of a birthday? CAKE! Well in this case, a yummy coconut tart.

A no-bake, gluten- and dairy-free tart for that matter. And as you can probably tell by the picture above, I am just way too excited to dig in. I call this my 'Hurry up babe and take my picture so I can eat!' smile - it happens a lot :)

Since I'm on this healthy track, I decided to make a healthier dessert for my birthday. But let's face it, it IS my birthday week (technically my birthday month, but I compromised with the hubs) so you all know I've been indulging when I can. It's the mindset that counts right? ;) Anyway, the result of this tart was AMAZING and even better than I imagined. After taking my first bite, I knew I had to share this recipe because who wouldn't want a delicious dessert without the guilt? Plus this was super easy to whip up. I'm looking out for you, guys!

The Recipe:

For the Crust:

1 1/2 c. unsalted, unroasted almonds

1/2 c. oat flour

1/2 c. pitted dates

1 tbsp. honey (or maple syrup/agave nectar to make it vegan)

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1 tsp. cinnamon

pinch of salt

For the Filling:

1 c. almond meal

1/2 c. coconut oil, melted

3/4 c. unsweetened coconut flakes

3 tbsp. honey (or maple syrup/agave nectar to make it vegan)

1 vanilla bean, seeds scraped out

dash of vanilla extract

pinch of salt

juice of half a lemon

Start off by preparing the base. I like to give the unroasted almonds and dates a head start by pulsing them for about 30 seconds in the food processor so they become smaller pieces. After that, go ahead and throw in the rest of the ingredients for the base in the food processor and pulse away until it becomes a crumb or crust-like consistency.

Spread the crust out into a pan - I used a 9-inch springform pan to get that "perfect" shape, but feel free to use any pan you'd like. Then store it in the refrigerator, while you make the filling.

For the filling, throw in all the ingredients in the food processor and pulse to combine. This will chop up the coconut flakes into smaller pieces. And since the almond meal is already ground up, everything should mix together pretty easily.

Take the crust out of the refrigerator and scoop the filling on top. Make sure to spread evenly, but be careful as the crust is a bit crumbly. At this point, I sprinkled extra coconut flakes on top and then stored it in the refrigerator for a few hours to set.

Once it's set, enjoy! So far I've either had a slice for dessert or as part of my morning breakfast and I swear it gets better everyday. Let me know what you guys think!

I know I've been slacking on the posts this week, but I promise to get back in the swing of things once my birthday week is over. Between celebrations and Matthew being back (after a long month), it has been hard to sit still and get lost in the blog world. Even after writing this post, I'm back in birthday mode, cleaning and cooking for a joint party tonight. I'm so excited, the theme is TAPAS and I can't wait to share pictures of it.

I forgot to mention in my last post that my birthday month has officially started! And my twin sister's of course (Hi Ames!). So many things to look forward to this month…Matthew coming home, a tapas-themed birthday party, and HONG KONG. You heard me, guys…and in case you haven't figured it out yet, I celebrate ALL month long. :)

I know I'm so late, but it just didn't feel right gearing up for April without properly ending March with a few of my favorites. So here they are:

1. {amazon.com} I've made it a mission to learn Calligraphy for what seems forever now and bought 'Modern Calligraphy' by Molly Suber Thorpe for inspiration. I can't say my efforts are anything to brag about, but I'm trying! I do love this book and find myself flipping through it all the time. And call me old-fashioned, but I LOVE the personal touch of a hand-written letter, don't you? Did I tell you that's how Matthew and I met? He was deployed when I got his first letter…now here we are, 5 years later :)

3. {sephora.com} I can't even begin to tell you how long it has taken me to find the perfect finishing powder. And I had to buy TWO as a result. But that's because the Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powderis THAT amazing. These are a little pricey, but so worth it. I have 2 out of the 6 shades -- I chose Dim Light for daytime and Luminous Light for nighttime -- and let me tell you these products are life changing. They somehow soften the look of your skin and give it such a natural glow, even if you think you got a little heavy-handed. I swear, you can't go wrong with these.

4. {sephora.com} I mean, what can I say about the Tarte Amazonian Clay 12-Hour Blush? I have this in shade 'Blissful' which is more on the peachy side and this compliments my skin tone perfectly. I'm definitely looking into buying more shades. I absolutely LOVE this product.

5. {bobbibrowncosmetics.com) This is just a basic eyeshadow palette from Bobbi Brown that I got in a gift set from a friend. It includes the shades bone, taupe and mahogany, which you can most likely get in other palettes. But this is by far my favorite neutral palette that I have. I don't normally wear too much makeup on a day to day basis, but this would totally be part of my 'everyday look' should I have one.

6. {sephora.com} Apparently, I was feeling Sephora in March! If you're looking for a top-knotch sunscreen and willing to pay a little more, the Peter Thomas Roth Max Daily Defense Moisture Cream is pretty awesome. It's oil-free, lightweight, non-greasy and absorbs into the skin quickly. I think this product would be great for those with sensitive skin as well. As I get older, I realize I can't go out suntanning like I used to, especially if I want to keep my skin looking young :( So sunscreen has definitely moved to the top of my list as far as my daily routine goes.

7. {shoplately.com} Sadly, the Ivory Bloom Necklace is sold out on ShopLately, but there are SO MANY necklaces similar to this one. This site is amazing and everything is SUPER affordable. It's kind of like Etsy where you buy from different sellers, so do expect to have items shipped at different times if you end up buying from more than one seller. I highly recommend shopping here! You won't be disappointed.

8. {zara.com} Love my leather heels from Zara! We all know a black pair of heels is ESSENTIAL to any closet (preferably, more than one pair) because they go well with so many outfits. Lately, I have been loving the look of mine with a fluted skirt or a cropped pant. I will for sure be rockin' these all spring and summer long.

9. {store.americanapparel.net} And last but not least, my CROPPED TANKSfrom American Apparel. Summer essentials, people! Just go and get them. Pair them with sunnies and a high-waisted skirt/short. You'll thank me :)

That's it for March! I plan to do monthly favorites from here on out so look out for those towards the end of each month. But lucky for me April is just beginning :) Talk to you guys soon!

Okay FINE…not one of my better intros, but what I'm about to talk about here really needs no introduction. L'Orange Patisserie…sigh. The moment I walked in, I was welcomed with the most delicious smell of freshly baked breads and muffins coming out of the oven. And as if that wasn't enough, I was greeted and sat by the owner who happened to be the sweetest woman I have ever met.

Now I don't consider myself a pastry connoisseur, but I know what I like, what I don't like and I thought I didn't like scones. And well, these scones at L'Orange…they were life-changing. They weren't at all heavy like the ones I've had in the past, nope, these were light and flaky and the flavors were spot on. I probably could have eaten 3 in one sitting, but let's be serious, I have a wedding to plan you guys :)

They even have cute little petite scones if you're unsure about taking on a whole one by yourself. But lucky for you, it's a judgment-free zone here at L+P :)

A lot of the restaurants here on island do offer an English menu for those looking to travel out here. Not all places will display them like this one, but if you ask, I'm pretty certain they'll grab you one. I did order a soy latte while I waited for my scone and of course the two paired perfectly together. I think it's safe to say I found my new go-to coffee spot.

Now on to my favorite part…this table. Is it just me or is having your coffee with a view the best feeling? I can always count on it to help me recharge and get my creative juices flowing. It's also a moment where you can enjoy life at a slower pace, which we all need to be reminded to do sometimes, don't you think? I can't lie to you guys though, I was struggling to find something to write about for this post. But before I know it, and a coffee and a scone later, I didn't have to think so hard after all. Funny how life works!

But serious question to all you bloggers out there…do you find things to write about based on what you think might be interesting to your readers or do you write based on whatever you feel like writing? Curious minds would like to know :)